iMS was formed nearly three years ago to create desktop characters for advertising and entertainment purposes. The idea is older, going back to the �catz� and �dogz� (created by PF Magic), which grew-up on your desktop (some of us can probably remember older examples too). These had a certain amount of AI coded into them unlike our characters that are designed to be more fun than scientific.

The iMS characters are generally pretty simple window-less cartoon animations that exist upon the user�s desktop. They build a relationship with the user and aim to, ultimately, connect to the brand owner who commissioned them. This is a link that is not always possible from a web presence or an on-line game as these force the user to be connected and exclusively using their browser.

The desktop characters allow a relationship to be maintained whilst off-line and allow the user to carry on with other tasks � perhaps even working! iMS applications can link to on-line or off-line content and show web pages in smaller HTML pop-up windows allowing a degree of on-line content whilst remaining fairly unobtrusive.

For the brand owner, the characters give the benefit of enabling them to place their brand (either subtly or not) right on to the user�s desktop.The character also allows the brand owner to channel news and information to the user in a non-intrusive, friendly way. This can either be with (static) information contained within the original application or by the character accepting data and live content retrieved from a website and delivered at specific intervals. The user benefits from knowing they have opted in for something fun, amusing and informative in which they are genuinely interested and also from which they can opt out if they lose interest. Of course we hope that the animation quality and good, solid technical build help to increase the longevity of the application. To help the user trust the character, it does not monitor their use in any way, nor do they deliver any information back to the parent website unless the user does this as part of an opt-in to competitions, prize draws or something similar, although download statistics are available via the send-to-a-friend feature.

The character idea is certainly something that does appeal to the public. iMS took part in the Comic Relief Viral Challenge last year in which viral marketing companies were asked to produce something to promote Comic Relief. With five finalists posted onto the Comic Relief website the public were asked to vote for their favourite. The iMS �Big Hair Dood� was voted most popular, showing that fun animation is sometimes more appreciated than some of the �edgier� viral marketing tools; I guess it depends on the demographic.

It helps if the campaign being promoted features an identifiable character. Our latest product is the Pepsy Purple Screen Diva produced in conjunction with PMA Marketing for the L�Oreal Paris �Color Pulse� campaign. She provides a strong link between the television campaign, the website and banner adverts by using the same character images, colours and styles. She even rides her Vespa on the desktop and so provides a direct link to the �Win My Vespa� on-line competition. iMS like the opportunity to create each character by hand and Pepsy has her own �Love Pulse� Flash game embedded in the application, along with multiple graphic windows which allow Pepsy to talk with the other �Color Pulse� characters.

iMS is a small company and all our characters are hand built with different features being added in for each client. This custom build of each application makes it easy for each brand owner to stamp their own identity on the character rather than have an application that has a standard iMS style, which might override their own.

Look out for Miss Flurrrt who will provide a personalised on-the-desktop presence for the Flurrrt.com dating website. She allows the user to carry out a single authenticated login and then will check the status of the user's account and announce new Flurrrt messages, e-mails or other news with this data coming direct from the Flurrrt site. She is a good example of a desktop character maintaining a permanently visible brand image inside an application that genuinely offers the user something useful.

If iMS can keep delivering characters that are popular with the public as well as the brand owners (who pay us) then I hope we are doing something right.